Cruel Intentions (1999)

This is a Romantic Comedy of the very dark variety. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays one of the most wicked femme fatales (Kathryn) you will ever encounter on-screen. Reese Witherspoon portrays the typical all-American, virtuous midwestern girl (Annette). In between is a womanizer, Sebastian, played by Ryan Phillippe.

All of the characters in the movie are fabulously wealthy, but more than a few are deficient when it comes to matters of the heart. People who enjoy eye candy will enjoy some of the sets of this movie particularly the lavish indoor swimming pool @ the cottage.

Sebastian and Kathryn make a bet: can the suave playboy score on Annette? This, along with a web of insidious sub-plots form the core of the movie's plot. In each and every case, Kathryn and Sebastion outwit everyone else in the film in order to manipulate circumstances into their favor. Occasionally, they even dupe each other.

Over the course of the film, however, Sebastian's character begins to change, albeit slightly. Meanwhile, Kathryn remains the cold-hearted and sadistic wench she always was. It is a credit to the acting ability of Phillippe that the change in character becomes apparent and we're actually compelled to care for him by the end of the film.

To answer the $60,000 question on whether a sweet innocent girl can have a significant impact on a life-long playboy, watch the film. However, be prepared for one of the darkest comedies you will ever see. It's downright cruel intentionally so.

Cruel Intentions is certainly not the usual bubblegum teenybopper movie--a fair warning: unless they are extremely open-minded and relaxed about sex, language, etc., don't rent this with your parents; whether they enjoy it or not, it will not be a comfortable experience for you. But aside from that, this is a very entertaining movie. Sarah Michelle Gellar expands her range playing a bitchy sort of anti-Buffy. Ryan Phillipe's acting style, sometimes called soulless and cold, fits his (originally) heartless character perfectly, and he has good chemistry with Reese Witherspoon (small wonder, since they are now married), who does very well in the role of the proud virgin. Selma Blair is hilariously naive and ridiculous, and Joshua Jackson, in a rather brief role, steals the few scenes he's in. If you're looking for something in the teen genre but not so fluffy as the usual crop, and if you're not easily offended, check this movie out. The only reason I gave it less than 5 stars (I'd give it a 4.5 rather than a 4) is Sebastian's (Phillipe's) transformation from lascivious jerk to tender loverboy is a bit too sudden--the metamorphosis would have been more believable if it had been more gradual, but this is a minor point and doesn't really hurt the film in any way.

Buy Cruel Intentions (1999) Now

It's probably better if you haven't seen Stephen Frears's Dangerous Liaisons (1989), starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer, or Milos Forman's Valmont (1988) with Annette Bening, Colin Firth and Meg Tilly. If you have, Roger Kumble's Cruel Intentions (1999), starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Reese Witherspoon, which is also based on the novel by the Frenchman Choderlos de Laclos, will seem to lack finesse. Kumble wrote his own screenplay as a kind of Les Liaisons Dangereuses in modern dress, whereas Frears and Forman relied more heavily upon the stage play by Christopher Hampton, depicting the aristocracy of 18th century France. While the two earlier movies sparkle with wit, insight and a cynicism to chill the fondest heart, Kumble's venture features a more prosaic brand of sexual humor adorned agreeably with young, nubile bodies.

But there is no need to make odious comparisons. Cruel Intentions can stand on its own, and there is plenty to admire, especially Gellar in a role to which she is perfectly suited, and Witherspoon as well. Phillippe is also good, especially when he's being funny, although his unconscious imitation of John Malkovich was a bit obsequious. He delivered some of his lines with the same deadpan expression and intonation. But being as pretty as he is, Phillippe's character is more like Colin Firth's. Selma Blair's narrow-eyed and dotty Cecile was pretty, sexy, and funnier than either Uma Thurman or Fairuza Balk, who played similar roles in the above mentioned movies, respectively.

The scene with the shrink to begin was very agreeable and should have been followed up somehow. We never see Sebastian quite so diabolical later on. Too bad. And seeing a little more of Swoosie Kurtz who played the self-centered, phony and hypocritical Dr. Regina Greenbaum would have enhanced the film.

The idea of making Sebastian and Kathryn step siblings was amusing and spicy, and the inclusion of a raunchy gay footballer was appropriate. Using a black guy as Cecile's harp teacher was kinky good. And being rather up-front about sex throughout without being overly juvenile was refreshing. The business with Sebastian Valmont's diary of conquests worked well both psychologically and as a plot device.

The main failing with Kumble's movie, aside from the general superficiality, was that Sebastian's "conquest" of Annette was a little too easy, especially with the goody-goody build-up she had been given. Consequently, her falling in love was more like a stumble. There was some physical passion, but nothing like the full-blown emotional passion required. Also I think the ending needed a little work. It seemed that a committee divined it, part of them wanting a "happy" love ending for Reese and Ryan, and the other half wanting to stay somewhat true to the spirit of the original, and so they came to a compromise, as committees will, and we got mishmash.

Incidentally, there is yet a fourth movie version of this tale, Dangerous Liaisons (1960), from French director Roger Vadim. I am looking forward to seeing it, if I can find a copy.

Read Best Reviews of Cruel Intentions (1999) Here

Sarah Michelle Gellar playing the bad guy.....yummy. So used to her as the heroin and now to see her portray a sizzling and seductive character. In my eyes, she can do no wrong. And now, this tantalizing twisted flick hits the high-def arena, I jumped to see Gellar in all her glory. Sony's recent blu-ray releases are blessed with all the bells and whistles and spares no expense in providing them on dual-layer disks. The picture looks fabulous and included an uncompressed 5.1 PCM track to my listening pleasure. All I can say is, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Want Cruel Intentions (1999) Discount?

Cruel Intentions is a movie you have to see to believe. Sarah Michelle Gellar has never been more bitchy and Reese Witherspoon has never been more pure. Both of these beauties bring strength and humor to their roles and Ryan Philippe became a heartthrob after this movie was released, although he doesn't quite have much range as an actor then. This film is all about playing wicked games on the innocent which is Witherspoon's character, secrets come out and vengence is seeked. This film is sorta campy but very enjoyable. Can you say guilty pleasure? This is a must-see. Enjoy!

Save 25% Off

Nanny McPhee Returns (2010)

I couldn't have picked a better movie. Snaggle toothed, dreadfully homely, and a wee bit of a woman that can cause even the bravest of souls to wince, McPhee is charming. It always amazes me to watch such a beautiful actress as Emma Thompson play a character that is just so different from herself.

Beauty aside, I find that Nanny is an endearing angel that rivals even the quintessentially beautiful Mary Poppins. Sans the musical notes that dance from Julie Andrews, Emma Thompson's character provides the sane sense of ease and comfort, while teaching a horde of little demons how to behave properly.

I have to say that Emma Thompson delivers a perfect performance in this film. She's everything that a frazzled mother Mrs. Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal) could wish for, especially during the trying times of World War II. Ewan McGregor plays her husband, who is off fighting the war. As often occurred during those times, he has left his young wife behind to care for the homestead and their rapscallion brood of children Norman, Megsie and Vincent. As if times weren't trying enough, the situation becomes worse when their spoiled cousins come to stay with them, escaping the Blitz.

While Mr. Green is away, his rotten brother Phil (Rhys Ifans) pressures Isabel to sell the farm to cover his own gambling debts. Five children, a frazzled mother on the brink of a nervous breakdown, and a horrid brother-in-law drives everyone to distraction.

Thus, the WWII version of Nanny 911 arrives, intent on teaching the children five valuable lessons via her own form of entrancing magic. As Nanny McPhee demonstrated in her first film, hilarity abounds, as well as life lessons that benefit the children.

Emma Thompson is magical, and her lessons to the children are filled with a patient wisdom we all could practice. My favorite part has always been the slight transformation that begins to overtake this dreadfully plain woman, making her the beauty that Thompson truly is.

I have to give this a family film 4 star, for the simple charm and magic that can hold youngsters enraptured and keep adults smiling.

This is a nice family film, somewhere between a 4 and 5 star, so I rounded up. Nannie McPhee (Emma Thompson) is a strange nannie. She is quite magical and quite delightful, but I'm getting ahead of myself. (Of course, better to be a-head than a little behind, I always say.)

The story begins on the family farm, in the English Countryside, far from London. It is WWII. Isabelle and the 3 children are taking care of the farm while the husband/father is away fighting in the war. The farm is owned by the husband and his brother Phil. The brother lives elsewhere.

Phil wants the money from his half of the farm and is pestering the heck out of Isabelle to sell it but she is trying to hang on until her husband returns. Meanwhile, Phil has incurred some gambling debts actually, he bet the farm. Two "Hit Women" are after Phil now, threatening to remove his kidneys.

The 2 cousins are coming from the city (London) to stay at the farm because bombs are being dropped in big cities. Of course, there is a clash between the farm kids and the city kids from the minute the city kids step out of the limo and into the "Land of Poo".

There is magic in the air when Nannie McPhee shows up at the front door and quickly gets the five fighting children in line. The animals become magical, too, including the adorable baby piglets that do "synchronized swimming" (like the old Esther Williams movies). There is also a bird that belches all the time and an adorable baby elephant.

Again, it's a cute film that you can enjoy with your young children.

Buy Nanny McPhee Returns (2010) Now

There's something about the Nanny McPhee character that appeals to me even more than Mary Poppins. I grant you that Nanny McPhee is no looker, what with her hairy warts, her snaggletooth, and her bulbous nose all glaring at you as if she were an endurance test for her clients. All the same, she knows what she's doing. Perhaps it has something to do with her magic, which doesn't serve as a vehicle for light, whimsical musical numbers; it's harsher and more direct, the kind that could conceivably subdue unruly children were it real. Under her rules, it seems plausible that a child can actually learn his or her lesson, and indeed, all the children in this film are challenged in ways that many family films wouldn't care to consider. But it's not all strict policies and firm magical consequences with each lesson the children learn, she gets progressively less ugly, and by the end, she looks like the Emma Thompson we know and love.

"Nanny McPhee Returns," the sequel to the oddly charming 2005 film adapted from Christianna Brand's "Nurse Matilda" books, is not an equal to its predecessor; it surpasses it on just about every level, from setting to characterization to dialogue to theme, making for a film that's fun, thoughtful, and every so slightly creepy. It's not creepy in traditional, obvious ways, like you would expect from a brooding horror movie. It is, however, heightened to a state of strange otherworldliness, a place where audiences children included can actually see the humor in a pair of hitwomen threatening to remove a man's kidney's before deciding he should be stuffed like a dead bird. It's also a place where we feel genuine tension from the sight of children disarming a bomb that's only seconds away from detonating. In a normal universe, all this would be astoundingly inappropriate. Here, it's just right.

The plot, which shifts the setting from the nineteenth century to the days of World War II, has Nanny McPhee (Thompson) entering the lives of the Green family, who manage a farm in the British countryside. The mother, Isabel (Maggie Gyllenhaal), is at her wits end. Her three children Norman (Asa Butterfield), Megsie (Lil Woods), and Vincent (Oscar Steer) are constantly fighting. Her husband is off fighting in the war. Her financial situation is steadily declining. She's continuously harassed by her good-for-nothing brother-in-law, Phil (Rhys Ifans), who has secretly gambled away the farm and is desperately trying to get her to sign away her half of the ownership. She tries to make ends meet by managing a village shop, but her associate, Mrs. Docherty (Maggie Smith), is just this side of loony, making it next to impossible to keep the shop in order. Worst of all, her children's rich, spoiled, snotty cousins Cyril (Eros Vlahos) and Celia (Rosie Taylor-Ritson) have been sent to stay on the farm.

Nanny McPhee, with her trusty cane, can make magic happen with a bang on the floor, although not in conventional, innocent ways. To make the children stop fighting, for example, she forces them to hit, pull, and kick themselves individually, and she makes it clear that she will put an end to it only on the condition that they apologize to one another. They better hurry; more of the room is being destroyed, and letters from the Greens' father are liable to get thrown into the fire. Later on, when all five children have to work together to find a litter of prize piglets, Nanny McPhee intentionally makes it harder for them by having the pigs do what they normally cannot do, such as climb trees, jump long distances, and have them partake in a surprisingly entertaining display of synchronized swimming.

With the notable exception of Uncle Phil, that rotten excuse of a man, every character develops in harmony with the story, which is to say we learn more about them as the film progresses. As a result, no one is a one-dimensional caricature. Cyril and Celia, for example, may have lived a privileged life, but that doesn't mean they're immune to emotional turmoil, mostly the result of parents who are more interested in themselves. If they act like brats, it's only because they know no other way to receive attention. Likewise, the Green children would like nothing more than for their father to come home; they're angry that he had to leave them and their mother alone, and since they're fairly isolated from the rest of the world, they have no one to take it out on except each other. Not a single child in this movie is bad. They merely have no healthy outlet for their pent up feelings.

Hanging over the whole situation is the threat of enemy bombing, unlikely though it may be. Thompson, who also wrote the screenplay, somehow manages to take this unfortunate reality and lighten it up, not to the point of ridiculousness, but just enough for it to be engaging to a younger audience. I don't know how she managed that delicate balance between childish whimsy, maturity, and morbidity, but somehow or another, she did it. I was also impressed by her portrayal of Nanny McPhee, a no-nonsense but caring witch whose magic can make the best of any situation, no matter how desperate it may seem. "Nanny McPhee Returns" is a pure delight from beginning to end charming, funny, touching, and intelligent, one of the best family films I've seen all year.

Read Best Reviews of Nanny McPhee Returns (2010) Here

I have no idea if today's children would like this movie. I just know I adored Nanny McPhee Returns. I'm in my 60s. This movie was so heart warming, I'll admit I shed a few tears. Reminded me of the great Disney movie Darby O'Gill and the Little People. Just an adorable little film. Why don't they make more movies like they did in the fifties? Surely not every film has to be made for teenagers?

Want Nanny McPhee Returns (2010) Discount?

How pleasant to see a movie without sex or violence. The movie is for kids, but can be enjoyed by adults. There are too few movies these days that do not contain bad language, sexual overtones or just plain violent action. They may sell well, but I prefer this type of movie that is clean fun.

The message for kids is usually something about being resposible.

I will purchase it for my own. It is a great show for grandkids as well.

Save 73% Off

Spears & Munsil HD Benchmark and Calibration Disc 2nd Edition (2013)

If you wish to calibrate your own equipment, HDTVs or Blu Ray players you can with this disc. It includes a dvd version to test you machine and a Blu Ray version with 3d testing. Many so-called magazine experts use this for their articles. I use it for my home purchases of electronics.

It's the next best thing to having a professional come out and calibrate your display device. And for less than $30 it's a no brainer.

Buy Spears & Munsil HD Benchmark and Calibration Disc 2nd Edition (2013) Now

My display has never looked this good. I have tried Digital Video Essentials, WoW, and the 2nd edition HD benchmark. Highly recommended.

Read Best Reviews of Spears & Munsil HD Benchmark and Calibration Disc 2nd Edition (2013) Here

I purchased a 70" Sharp Quatron TV a few months back and waited for this version of calibration DVD to come out.

It is very easy to use and showed that most (but not all) of my Sharp's settings were very close.

After going though all the settings, it definitely improved the picture quality.

Great product and very worth $29.95.

Want Spears & Munsil HD Benchmark and Calibration Disc 2nd Edition (2013) Discount?

easy way to calibrate yor display device strongly recomended, also good for 3 d device, i used witk eye one pro work perfect

Tromeo and Juliet (1996)

First thing you need to do before you read the rest of this review is read the title of the movie again...TROMEO and Juliet...it is a Troma film. Ok...now that we have that out of the way we can move on with the review.

This film is no Gone With the Wind, but then I say to you that Gone With the Wind is no Tromeo and Juliet either. Troma is not defined by your typical Hollywood rules where movies are concerned. Troma sits off in the dark corner of the big room where all the class clowns hang out and are just in their own world. Tromeo and Juliet does what Troma does best and does it better than ever before. I never really believed that I would enjoy something more than the Toxic Avenger coming out of Tromaville. This movie quickly took over the position as my favorite Troma film. The characters are over the top and fun. The script is funny and Tromeo's black fartin' dad is hilarious. A great cast of characters with an intelligent(as in Troma intelligent) script.

I personally thought the cook for the Capulets was far more sexy than Juliet, but what do I know. I will say one thing about some of the off color content...be warned if you are easily offended. There is plenty by which to be offended in this film. For instance, a freakshow who desires his sister in every way, a father who is freakishly attracted to his daughter, as well as plenty of other off color scenes. Did you expect anything less from Troma though.

Watch for the tons and tons of memorabilia from the other Troma films throughout this film as well as the party where you see a cast of characters from the other films to include Toxie himself.

I have to say that when the characters break into their "Shakespearean" dialog, it just makes me giggle. Very funny if you ask me.

Overall this is a pretty solid Troma film with a nice story done in vintage Troma style.

I've always had this fantasy that some thoroughly disreputable quick-buck movie would end up being brilliant. Like, what if some soft-core "Erotic Thriller" ended up having gutsy, breakthrough performances and a riveting plot? What if "Police Academy 12" was Oscar-worthy?

My fantasies came through with "Tromeo & Juliet." The very concept of a punk "Romeo" is brilliant they conceived this before Baz Luhrmann's movie but seeing as how this is Troma we're talking about, Lloyd Kaufman could have steered this in a very wrong (read: conventional) direction. Fortunately, they managed to find a young mad genius named James Gunn to write the script, and they found some hungry young acting talent who threw themselves into the project. And Kaufman, perhaps inspired by all this, finally directed like a man more concerned with making a good movie than cashing in on the quick-buck exploitation trends that nearly ruined "Troma's War" and "Sgt. Kabukiman."

Not that "Tromeo & Juliet" isn't a quick-buck exploitation movie. It is. It's also a hilarious and inventive comedy, an art film, a soft-core porno, a gross-out gore flick, a surprisingly moving love story, and best of all one of the most oddly faithful Shakespeare adaptations I've ever seen. Amazingly, it's all these things all at the same time, sometimes even in the same scene (check out Murray Que's final scene, in the tattoo parlor). "Tromeo" captures the spirit, the wordplay, and the abandon that so many staid Shakespeare movies completely miss. And it's one of the most energetic and creative movies you're likely to see.

I could gush on and on about "Tromeo," for it is my favorite movie. Now that James Gunn is a big-time although still delightfully weird Hollywood writer, I wouldn't be surprised to see a surge in "Tromeo" sales. This is a good thing. "Tromeo" is a completely unique and exhilirating movie, and it deserves a huge audience. It's not for everyone, I suppose (the close-up shot of the nipple being pierced will pretty much clear the room of those who should have stayed away in the first place). But if you like a little trash in your art, or art in your trash, give "Tromeo" a chance.

Oh and the budget for "Tromeo" was $350,000, or about what it costs to cater lunch for a week on your basic Adam Sandler movie.

Buy Tromeo and Juliet (1996) Now

William Shakespeare's play Romeo & Juliet has been interpreted hundreds of times on stage and in films. Sometimes literally following the original text (which is, at times, vague in stage directions), sometimes in new interpretations where directors chose to show their own view on the piece. Some are good, many are mediocre. Lloyd Kaufman's film certainly stands out as one of the most original, modern versions of the bard's creation, It may be placed in a modern-day decaying New York and full of the modern-day anti-social behavior, body piercing, dismemberment and kinky sex (which, for the more than casual reader, Shakespeare himself wasn't shying away from), but at the same time it stays incredibly close to the overall feel and point of what the play is all about, which is quite an effort. Kaufman wrote the script with his co-director on the film James Gunn, who is now famous for writing two successful Scooby Doo movies, doing the impossible by making a perfect remake of an already perfect film with his script for Dawn of the Dead and directing one of the best horror-films of the year: Slither. Lloyd Kaufmans innovative directorial view alongside with James Gunns original and unrestricted writing make for an interpretation of Shakespeare's play that maybe not everyone will "get" immediately, but will certainly be recognized by a truly unique and highly important view on a classic play. With a script that is written entirely in iambic meter, appearances of Motorhead's Lemmy and an outrageous forceful soundtrack watching Tromeo & Juliet is something no one will ever forget. Apart from it's historical significance, Tromeo &

Juliet is a treasure for film-lovers of all kind. Not only for the script by James Gunn, now a good influence on Hollywood while working from the inside, but also because it features an early part of legendary actress Debbie Rochon. Well known by everyone familiar with films that are made on lower budgets. The 10th anniversary edition on DVD adds to all that by including so many as-yet undiscovered gems that not only all the information one could wish for about the film itself and the experience of making it is presented in ways that make it impossible to turn off the DVD, but also a very honest (and disturbing) look is given into the ways independent cinema has to surviver these days. In many ways the extra's on the disc are an invaluable addition to the already impressive amount given on Kaufman's film-school "Make Your Own Damn Movie". Furtermore historical items from the Troma vaults which include James Gunn, Debbie Rochon and other contributors to this masterpiece are included, and the film itself is, apart from looking better then ever, accompanied by no less than four audio-commentaries, each and everyone informative, excruciatingly funny and all done for serious addition to the film instead of the boring and nonsensical commentaries that are so common these days. There are new

commentaries (one with Kaufman and Gunn together), but also the one James Gunn did for the original release of the DVD but couldn't be included there for some of honesty he displays about some other people is present on this disc. With fan-recreations of a few of the scenes from the film, a video diary of Lloyd Kaufman's visit to the set of James Gunn's Slither and a visit the two brought together to Eli Roth's Hostel Birthday party and much more, this is the ultimate set everyone must own. Weather you are a film historian, someone interested in interpretations of the great Bard's work, a fan of great cinema, a fighter for independent cinema, a fan of James Gunn, interested in learning more on making films on a low budget, a fan of Lloyd Kaufman or whatever: this is the most important DVD-release of this millennium!

Read Best Reviews of Tromeo and Juliet (1996) Here

According to the Troma website, this 2-disc edition of TROMEO AND JULIET is going to include:

*4 different audio commentaries featuring writer James Gunn (SLITHER), director Lloyd Kaufman (THE TOXIC AVENGER), actor Sean Gunn (GILMORE GIRLS), film editor Frank Reynolds (IN THE BEDROOM) and Troma staff editor Gabriel Friedman (TERROR FIRMER, CITIZEN TOXIE, POULTRYGEIST).

*2 hours of interviews with cast and crew including Debbie Rochon (Ness), Tiffany Shepis (Peter), Sean Gunn (Sammy), Valentine Miele (Murray), Stephen Blackehart (Benny), and Lemmy (of Motorhead).

*GETTING HOSTEL WITH HOLLYWOOD: James Gunn and Lloyd Kaufman visit Eli Roth's birthday party.

*SLITHER-ING THROUGH HOLLYWOOD: A brand-new, expanded, uncut version of Lloyd Kaufman's video diary on the set of James Gunn's SLITHER.

*Deleted scenes, plus a featurette of James Gunn and Lloyd Kaufman commenting on the deleted scenes.

*Exclusive never-before-seen rehearsal footage of Jane Jensen and Debbie Rochon.

*Willie Wisely music video, featuring Andy Dick and Kara Monaco

*Classic Troma movie introductions featuring the cast of TROMEO AND JULIET

And more.

Want Tromeo and Juliet (1996) Discount?

"Tromeo and Juliet" is to Troma fans what "Die Hard" is to Action fans, what "The Exorcist" is to Horror fans, and what "Tootsie" is to Cross-dressing fans.

The Bards Greatest Romance gets the Troma Treatment in the Grandest Scale. Lesbianism, Language, Gore... Everything is overdone Beautifully.

Its Storyline (and it's similarity's to the Real Romeo and Juliet) is pretty Inconsequential, but, as you've probably guessed, it's about Forbidden love between two teens whose Family's are Rivals. The makers cleverly (well, cleverly compared to a lot of their previous work) twist the more famous elements and make them more Modern, more Sick and more Funny.

The Acting is Oscar worthy, (keeping in mind I'm only comparing this to Other Troma films) Jane Jensen and Will Keenan seem to have a Genuine Attraction, which threatens to make the film... Realistic, a Realistic Troma film, Times really are Changing. The Rest of the performances bring the film back to the Troma Level we all know and love.

If you Know what you're getting in for, "Tromeo and Juliet" will Surprise with its Assuredness. If you are New to this sort of film, it Will grow on you... It always does.

Save 25% Off

Santa Claus: The Movie (25th Anniversary Edition) (1985)

Anyone buying a copy of this film should really get the wide screen DVD version. The flying sequences are so much better in widescreen as are the scenes in the North Pole toy factory. The "full frame" pan and scan version just can't hold a candle to the widescreen (I have both so have carefully compared them.)

There is an excellent director's comment track with questions being asked by the Special Projects Consultant for Anchor Bay (the company distributing the DVD) and answered and expanded upon by the director, Jeannot Szwarc. It is worth the price of the package alone. However there is also a great "making of" feature that was produced as a TV documentary at the time of the theatrical release of the film.

This is a really great Christmas film for the whole family. The first hour telling the story of how a simple wood cutter and toy maker become Santa Claus is completely charming. David Huddleston is a wonderful Claus. Dudly Moore is excellent as the elf, Patch, who is into everything and constantly inventing new gadgets. He shows his tender side as he grooms and takes care of the reindeer. It is really tragic that Mr. Moore now has the disease that make it impossible for him to perform any longer. That makes this film that much more of a treasure as it shows him at the top of his form as an actor. (Too bad the producers couldn't have used his musical talents in some way.)

John Lithgow is a delightfully hammy villain in the second portion of the film showing the early stages of the character he later does in "Third Rock From The Sun". The two children are also great, very real and not the cloying poor child actors that could easily have been used.

Trim the tree, light a fire in the fireplace, pour an egg nog and enjoy the very special Holiday treat!.

The man who plays Santa in this movie is the cutest, sweetest, most magical Santa Claus ever captured on film. I swear to this day...this man IS the real Santa. They could not have done a better job in casting this film. I get goosebumps every time they show Santa take off in the sleigh for the first time. Outstanding movie!!

Buy Santa Claus: The Movie (25th Anniversary Edition) (1985) Now

This is one of my favorite Christmas movies. It brings the legend of Santa Claus to life in a grandiose way (i.e. great Hollywood special effects and wonderful musical score!) This movie was produced by the Salkinds (which probably explains why some of the flying sequences are similar to the Superman movies.) I just recently found it is available now on DVD. The DVD gives you four movie trailers and a very interesting hour-long behind the scenes making of "Santa Claus: The Movie." It also has director's commentary, if you like that. Buy the widescreen version. Ever since owning a DVD player, I have enjoyed watching movies presented widescreen. I hate to see them "fit to screen," because it cuts so much out of the picture. The score is by Henry Mancini and is just magical, especially "Sleigh Ride Over Manhattan"! This is a wonderful Christmas movie that you and your family will enjoy for years to come!!

Read Best Reviews of Santa Claus: The Movie (25th Anniversary Edition) (1985) Here

When this film came out 20 years ago it was really hailed for it's special effects and technical achievments. Remember this was before CGI and the use of computer generated special effects was in its infancy. The achievement of getting Santa Claus and his reindeer and sleigh to fly was truly masterful. Not coincidently the film was produced by Ilya Salkind who produced the Superman Films and brought along some of the men who did the effects on the Superman films. Besides the flying sequences, the creation of the North Pole was the most elaborate ever seen on film up to that point, and possibly ever.

The movie begins in the past showing how The David Huddleston character eventually becomes Santa Claus. Huddleston makes for a truly striking Santa Claus, certainly one of the very best ever seen on screen. The film then jumps forward to modern day and loses a bit of steam. As Patch the Elf, Dudley Moore leaves the North Pole to head to the big city where the naive elf falls under the influence of ruthless corporate toy manafacturer B.Z. played by John Lithgow. This was one in a long line of villain roles the he would play in the late 80's and early 90's. Some people thinks he steals the show as a modern day Scrooge but to me he just chews up a bit too much scenery and takes some of the heart out of the film. That aside it's really a well done film, perhaps a bit dated but still good enough to be an annual holiday treat.

Want Santa Claus: The Movie (25th Anniversary Edition) (1985) Discount?

Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, and David Huddleston star in the 1985 masterpiece (that's right, I said masterpiece), "Santa Clause the Movie". The film starts off by depicting the origin of one of the world's most favorite people, Santa Claus (David Huddleston), showing how he and his wife were brought to a workshop at the North Pole by elves in fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. There, they were granted immortality with the mission of delivering the elf-made toys to the children of the world on one night each year. The film charmingly takes us through the centuries and eventually lands in modern day, when a wealthy little girl named Cornelia befriends a homeless orphan boy named Joe in New York City. The pair also manage to befriend Santa on his nightly ride, but when he returns home and finds his heavy workload is becoming too much for him, Santa decides to take on an assistant. A competition is held, but when the result brings on disaster the following Christmas, an ambitious elf named Patch (Dudley Moore) decides to go out into the world and prove his worth to Santa. It's soon after that he meets B.Z (Lithgow), an unscrupulous, greedy maker of dangerously defective toys. Patch naively teams up with B.Z. to bring the world "something special" for Christmas, but in the end only Santa Claus himself, with the help of Cornelia and Joe of course, will be able to save Patch and everyone else from the hazardous gifts they create!

The Salkinds, the same people who brought you Christopher Reeve as "Superman," spared no expense in this epic tale of another high-flying force for good, Santa Claus, appropriately dubbed "Santa Claus the Movie." "Supergirl" director Jeannot Szwarc skillfully handles the reins on this one, and though he follows the same basic formula of the first Reeve Superman film, it's all the detail and charm that makes this holiday classic a masterpiece in its own right. With its magical first half and clever, modern-fairytale second half, "Santa Claus the Movie" adds up to the best movie about the big man in red made to date. Forget the others if you don't have this one yet! The cast is fantastic, by the way. David Huddleston simply IS Santa, Dudley is delightful as the unworldy, bright-eyed Patch, Lithgow is detestably hilarious as wicked toy pusher B.Z. (reminiscent of Dan Aykroyd's old SNL character), and the kids (Carrie Kei Heim and Christian Fitzpatrick) and Judy Cornwell as Mrs. Claus are perfectly cast as well. The chemistry throughout the cast is amazing, and so are the pre-CGI effects and classic '80's fantasy music from Henry Mancini with one song performed by Sheena Easton!

The DVD from Anchor Bay is a must own (mine is the older cover, but I hear it is exactly the same). It's presented in glorious enhanced widescreen and has fantastic extras. You get two U.S. theatrical trailers, plus the International and German trailers, an excellent audio commentary with the director accompanied by Special Projects Consultant for Anchor Bay Scott Michael Bosco, talent bios on the late Dudley Moore and director Jeannot Szwarc, and a fascinating, lengthy, revealing, and in-depth making-of featurette made during the making of the film. Try to ignore the director humiliating one of the elf actors during the "making-of" featurette, and the fact that it repeatedly drops the ball in keeping up the illusion it initially presents. If you really want to see some pre-CGI movie magic, you have to check out this excellent featurette, and this beautiful film! Get this one on DVD along with "The Nativity Story," and you'll have the two most significant origin stories of the Christmas season!

Save 26% Off

Erin Brockovich (2000)

Julia Roberts outdoes herself in yet another David and Goliath struggle based on a true story. Erin Brockovich (Roberts) is a down-on-her-luck mother of three who can't seem to hold down a job. After having an auto accident, she makes a bumpy transition from client to employee at the law firm and stumbles onto a case with staggering implications. It seems that utility giant PG&E has poisoned the groundwater and the local residents are getting gravely ill.

The story starts poorly with scenes of Erin looking for jobs and botching her accident case. The first twenty minutes of the film could have been condensed into five. However, once the investigation of the case begins, the story is engrossing. It is a powerful and well written human interest drama centered on a tough and smart (though crude) woman who leads a passionate crusade on behalf of the victims.

Director Steven Soderberg played it straight in filming this after his extremely avant-garde effort in "The Limey". His key strength here was the direction of the actors with both Julia Roberts and Albert Finney giving excellent interpretations of their characters. However, my only negative criticism of the film was the way Erin's boyfriend George was presented. George is a grubby tattoo covered biker (the tattoo on his left shoulder says "DIRTY") who behaves like Ward Cleaver with a ponytail. He is genteel, articulate, level headed, patient, sensitive and kind. All of this is so disconnected with his lifestyle that it seems inconceivable that a character this wonderful could possibly come in this package.

Julia Roberts' gave a superlative performance that smashed any myth about her inability as a dramatic actor. A far cry from her accustomed lightweight romantic characters, her portrayal of Brockovich was gritty, raw and audacious. Emotionally, she commanded states from manipulative vamp and vicious harpy to sympathetic confidant and indignant crusader. This is unquestionably her best performance and legitimizes her as one of the more versatile actresses in Hollywood.

Albert Finney also gave a fine performance as the bumbling but effective curmudgeon of a lawyer. He was simultaneously obnoxious and charming and created a good contrast to Roberts' character. The two of them had terrific chemistry.

Aaron Eckhart was lovable as George, although as mentioned above, the character's forbearing personality didn't jibe with his rebellious culture. However, I put more of the responsibility for this on the director than on the actor.

The DVD has some excellent comments by the real Erin Brockovich that lend credibility to the story. However, Brockovich is so toned down in these interviews, it makes Roberts' portrayal seem like an exaggeration.

This is an excellent story that is well and believably dramatized. I rated it an 8/10. For viewers who enjoy strong dramatic performances and who are not offended by liberal profanity, I recommend it highly.

What was the last film I seen with Julia Roberts in? Ah, Runaway Bride, another Romanic comedy, and Notting Hill before that, same genre. So what on earth is she doing in a true-life drama? A lot actually......... I have to admit, I am a bit of a Julia Roberts fan, but never in my life did I expect she is this good. No, good is not the right word; Oscar worthy only comes close. That might make me a bit biased towards her but even the cynics cannot denied that she has broken her "pretty woman" mould and become a true character actor, besides Julia Roberts, her co-star Albert Finney is also excellent as Ed Masery, he almost steels the show with his subtle and convincing portrayal of Erin's boss and friend.

As I said and you probably know, this film is based on a true-life story about a woman with no skills who found out something weird is going on and sued a multi-billion-corporation company and won the largest lawsuit payout in American history. So what makes this film differ from other "true-life-dramas"? Well, a lot of the credit must be given to Julia Roberts, her portrayal of the real Erin is truly convincing. Her performance brings the character to life; the audience can truly FEEL the way she felt, I've seen this film twice in the theatre and it's just as good the second time around.

The script is sharpe, some of the dialogue from Erin is really humorous, and the drama is dealt with care and precision. This is true movie from Julia and from director Steven Soderbergh, another masterpiece to buy on DVD.

Buy Erin Brockovich (2000) Now

No matter what role she plays, she can always make it better. And this movie is one of them. Erin Brockovich is the out of luck, out of work woman with two kids. She starts working at a local law firm with no experience. When she comes onto a case that has to do with her own town's water, she takes it with decication. Fighting coragously to win against the large company that has destroyed the water, she shows that she is a true fighter.

It's not Julia's usual romance. She has never shown so much skin or played such a sassy role, but she does it wonderfully.

Read Best Reviews of Erin Brockovich (2000) Here

Okay, language issues aside, Julia Roberts SHINES as the real-life Erin Brockovich, a dogged, unabashed crusader for justice.

Erin accidentally finds out that several hundred unsuspecting residents of Hinkley, California are dead or dying from poisoned water that has exceedingly high levels of toxic chromium.

This is a touching story that reminds me a lot of Sally Field's performance in Norma Rae. It's about a grass-roots effort to right a very terrible wrong, and the investigative techniques used by Erin will floor you with their sheer simplicity. It's not what she does, rather it's HOW she does what she does that makes a difference. Erin is not equipped professionally to take on this insurmountable task, but she refuses to let that stop her from trying. She's what I would call "ignorance on fire", but she's also smart as a whip.

What I love most about this movie is how Roberts character gets results when others can't. She may not be the most professional (this movie is cleavage city!), or meekest person you'll ever meet (her boss says she could use a good dose of "charm school" he's right!) but she has a way with people. True, her wardrobe doesn't hurt in her getting her way so often (especially with men), but it's her honest compassion for these victims that makes the movie work.

Erin Brockovich teaches all of us a lesson in true leadership, persistence against all odds, and how to motivate people. These victims TRUST her because they know she really CARES, That's the real lesson here, and that's why she is so successful in getting them to do something they would never have done without her.

This movie is a real gem. You will learn a lot about purpose, passion, corruption, romance, and how to deal with people so that they respond. And you'll also learn that door-to-door selling is NOT antiquated!

Highly recommended.

Cris

Want Erin Brockovich (2000) Discount?

"Erin Brockovich" is a wonderful movie! Starring Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, and Aaron Eckhart, it's based on the real-life story of Erin Brockovich, a down-on-her-luck, twice divorced former beauty queen with three young children. Having no post-high school education and few job skills, she has great difficulty finding and holding down a job. Despite her adversities, she displays a fierce grit and determination as she constantly seeks ways to support her family.

Then a seemingly tragic twist of fate puts her on the road to a complete reversal of luck. After being seriously injured in a car crash, she sues the doctor who hit her. Her antagonistic personality and foul mouth cause her to lose her lawsuit. With bluff and bravado, she persuades her lawyer, Ed Masry, into giving her a job as a file clerk in his law firm.

Erin finds herself intrigued by one of the cases contained in the files she's putting away. Why are people's medical records included in a simple real estate transaction? She asks Ed if she can look into it. He agrees. What Erin finds horrifies her. A large electric utility near the small town of Hinkley has been dumping a highly toxic form of chromium into the water. Citizens in Hinkley are contracting various forms of cancer and other gravely debilitating diseases.

The film's main story line tells of Erin and Ed's efforts to persuade Hinkley's citizens to join in a class action lawsuit against the utility.

Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, and Aaron Echhart each illuminate the screen with their superb performances. In Roberts' case, it would be easy to focus on her good looks and skimpy wardrobe and slight her acting. The fact is, though, her acting in this movie is probably her strongest attribute! Throughout the film, Roberts' character comes off as completely natural, believable, and admirable if not always likeable. Julia Roberts is certainly deserving of her 2001 Academy Award Best Actress award!

Albert Finney (nominated for Best Spporting Actor) plays the gruff, irascible, hard-working, and totally decent lawyer Ed Masry. Finney's Oscar-worthy performance is certainly the equal of Roberts. The chemistry between Roberts, the star of modern-day female movie stars, and Finney, the grizzled veteran of stage and screen, sparkles.

Aaron Eckhart' s portrayal of George, the biker-turned-boyfriend and live-in baby-sitter is a refreshing change from the typical and expected Harley-Davidson rider stereotype. As Eckhart depicts him, George is smart, tender-hearted, probably a bit lazy, possessed with a wanderlust he keeps under control, and a thoroughly decent fellow.

How director Steven Soderbergh managed to keep "Erin Brockovich" from becoming another tedious, cliché-ridden legal and family drama is intriguing, and is probably one of the key reasons for the movie's tremendous popularity. It would have been easy to turn "Erin Brockovich" into a film filled with stereotypical courtroom pyrotechnics; long, idealistic speeches about the "little guy" versus corporate America; and characters that are either too easy to hate or too easy to love.

That's pretty much what I expected when I began watching the movie. Instead, I witnessed a film filled with ordinary, decent people... people with faults, to be sure; but all living their lives as best they can. Instead of slick lawyers seeking victory at any cost, there are attorneys zealously representing their clients to the best of their abilities. Instead of hapless, pitiable victims of corporate greed, the townspeople of Hinkley are portrayed as caring, decent, law-abiding citizens whose only concern is the welfare of their families.

What Soderbergh has, in fact, done is present to his audiences a wonderful reflection of American life the good as well as the bad. At the conclusion of this wonderful film, it's easy for viewers to walk away feeling pretty good... not only about the ultimate outcome of the movie, but also about the fact that we Americans are, for the most part, decent, caring, law-abiding citizens. And that makes "Erin Brockovich" a film well worth seeing!

Save $0.03 Off

Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls (2007)

This is one of those movies that you watch and then wonder how come the world can't see how common sense, character, and integrity make this planet a better place to live. "Daddy's Little Girls" should expose the horrors that gang activity brings upon communities; the foolishness of class envy and ridicule; and the need for men and women to treat each other with respect at all times. Yet, I wonder if some people didn't watch this movie and go right back to doing things the wrong way. I'm sure I'll meet up with someone in a few days who saw this movie and didn't even realize it had a message in it.

It is hard to rate a movie like this anything but 5 stars. The message was fantastic, the acting on par with any other movie made recently, and the plot flowed together amazingly well.

As far as I'm concerned Idris Elba is one heck of an actor. He is virtually flawless in his role as Monty, a man determined to do what's right when nothing in his life is headed in the right direction. I knew very little about Elba before watching this movie. Now I know that Hollywood, Independent film makers, and even Bollywood would be making a big mistake if they didn't make place this man in more leading roles.

Gabrielle Union is excellent as Julia, a Ivy League Lawyer who wins all her cases but lacks the street skills to get along with the little people. Union is beautiful, knows how to deliver a line, and is just a complete joy to watch on screen. Combining Elba and Union on screen was a perfect match. How could anyone help but root for these two to be successful in the end?

Louis Gossett Jr., man has this guy been in some films or what? His filmography page goes back to the 1950s! What an amazing career. He is a great addition to this film as Willie, the garage owner where Monty works on cars and dreams of one day being the owner. His character is a little one dimensional but he still has what it takes to deliver those "You better get your butts in gear" message. I will forever believe that his performance in "An Officer and a Gentleman" was one of the best performances ever, by anyone.

Tasha Smith plays Jennifer, Monty's evil-EX and mother to the little girls. She did a great job being evil. I know this because I found myself wanting to reach through my television screen and slap her! Job well done, Tasha!

Okay, I am running a little long on my review here, so I am going to wrap this up: "Daddy's Little Girl" is a must-see movie with a message, great acting, and a whole lot energy definitely worth every penny it cost to make, market, and distribute.

See ya next review!

OKAY I WILL ADMIT WHEN THIS MOVIE FIRST CAME OUT I WANTED TO SEE IT ,BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE DAD HAS KIDS, DAD LOOSES KIDS BLAH BLAH!!..BELIEVE NE IT WAS NOT..I JUST SAW THIS MOVIE AND TO MY SURPRISE IT WAS REALLY GOOD..MAN IDRIS IS SO SEXY IN THIS MOVIE.GABRIELLE WAS AMAZING AS WELL..THIS WAS A TOUCHING MOVIE AND I RECOMMEND IT FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY..IT HAS SOME KISSING SCENES THAT MY SON CLOSED HIS EYES TO.BUT IT WAS A GREAT MOVIE..IT SHOWS YOU THAT NOT ALL BLACK MEN ARE DEAD BEAT.AND THAT THERE ARE SOME OUT THERE WHO LOVE AND WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR KIDS.I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THIS MOVIE ON DVD...TRUST ME YOU WILL LOVE IT..!!!!

Buy Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls (2007) Now

This work of art finally represents Black men in a strong and positive light despite the trials and tribulations of daily life that attack our sanity. Tyler Perry has tapped in the conscientiousness of numerous Black men in America, who feel misrepresented by society's stereotypes. There are multiple important stories woven into the fabric of this masterpiece; such as, love has no economic barriers, good men do exist (they may be right next to you now), good things come to those who wait, do the right thing and the right thing will be given unto you. The sound track also scream volumes for most of us. This is a "movie night" DVD that should be shared with many; single, divorced and married.

Read Best Reviews of Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls (2007) Here

This is a powerful drama packed with real concerns, true life ventures, warm sentiments, disturbing deeds and emotional triumphs. Tyler Perry even packed in a few good laughs. Men and women can relate to the dialogue and afterwards will come out with renewed hope for life. Very much worth seeing and very enjoyable.

Want Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls (2007) Discount?

Well I just got out of Daddy's Little Girls and honestly it wasn't half bad. Granted there were a few errors in the movie that liberal critics will point out but like Perry's previous films, Daddy's Little Girls isn't a movie for the critics. Gabrielle Union is good as always as she kind of brought the same vibe into the female lead Julia that she did to the title character in Deliver Us From Eva. Idris Elba as Monty played the romantic lead very well by turning Monty into the type of character whose struggle you can empathize with and I hope he gets more lead roles in the future as he played the good guy role very in the film. The chemistry between the two of them is strong enough to make their scenes together work. The film wasn't as funny as Perry's previous work but then the message that Perry was trying to convey was didn't really need any cheap laughs. My only compliant with the film was it did drag a bit in some parts, but the climax and conclusion more than make up for it. Perry has now shown that he can make a movie without the Madea character and while Perry still needs to work on his storytelling more mainstream success with liberal critics, Perry already has a strong fan base to ensure that we'll see a new Tyler Perry film every February for years to come

Save 50% Off

Marley & Me (Three-Disc Bad Dog Edition) (2009)

'Marley & Me' is a great adaptation of the novel by Josh Grogan. It kept all the emotional elements as well as the fun. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson had amazing chemistry together in this heartfelt film. It is more than just a dog movie, surpassing hit dog films such as 'Beethoven,' '101 Dalmations,' and 'Homeward Bound.' This film concentrates on the family and how a dog affected the lives of this family for both good and bad. It's a good representation of a young couple and how they evolve as they have children and move on in life. Along with it, is shows the life cycle of a dog, which is something that rarely gets shown honestly in films. It shows the good, the bad, and the painfully tragic elements of having a dog. The end of the film is very true to the book and I'm glad because it is probably the most important part of the story and it's nice to see it portrayed honestly for fans of the book.

Overall, I think viewers will enjoy this film. Jennifer Aniston is sweet as the supportive wife and Owen Wilson shows how he's much more than playing screwball characters and can be tender and emotional as well.

There are quite a bit of extras on the "Bad Dog Edition" that fans of this film will no doubt enjoy exploring.

There is a collection of 19 deleted scenes with optional commentary by director David Frankel. We see John and Jenny go house hunting in Boca Raton. There is more footage of them choosing to adopt Marley. Naturally, there is more of Marley's antics as well.

"Finding Marley" takes a look at the 22 dogs used in the film. One dog in particular had the most screen time. We see how his trainer got him to do various things and it is amazing to see how well trained he is.

"On the Set with Marley: Dog of all Trades" is an "interview" with the dog that played Marley including on the set footage provided by a camera located on the pooch's head.

"Breaking the Golden Rule" features the cast and crew talking about how Marley & Me is not a dog film per se but about the Grogan family. The cast speaks admiringly of each other and, of course, the dogs.

"Animal Adoption" champions adopting your pet from a shelter or pound. It covers some of the things to consider when you want to adopt an animal. This is one extra that everyone should see.

"Purina Dog Chow Marley & Me Video Contest Finalists" features footage of dogs doing all sorts of funny, goofy and adorable things that did not qualify for the Hall of Fame but were pretty entertaining in their own right.

"Purina Dog Chow Video Hall of Fame" features the best of the best.

Also included is the requisite "Gag Reel" with the cast blowing their lines and so on.

"When Not to Pee" shows how a spontaneous moment of dog urination was recreated and took two dogs and several takes to pull off.

Finally, there are some trailers.

Buy Marley & Me (Three-Disc Bad Dog Edition) (2009) Now

There is a lot of controversy about this movie....it seems like people either love it or hate it. I'm in between....

I did not see Marley and Me in the theaters but being a dog-lover since I was born, I was interested and borrowed the DVD from my boss a few days ago as my mother wanted to see it as well.

For all you who have heard from lots of angry parents claiming "false advertising" and "deceiving trailers", I'd like to confirm that yes, that is somewhat true. If I had young brothers or sisters or children of my own, who wanted to see a cute and funny family dog movie, "Marely and Me" is not the movie that comes to mind here.

This for two reasons:

One, the movie's focus is on the marriage of a new couple and their struggles through a married life. It doesn't soley focus on the dog, he more so takes a backseat in most of the film, apart from the first hour or so. Children will adore the puppy Marley in the beginning, but their attention will go elsewhere when things get more serious after Marley grows up.

Two, is the mature content of the movie. There are several sexual references (nothing too explicit), some profanity, and darker scenes that are definitely too intense for younger viewers. I wouldn't suggest Marley and Me to anyone under 12...or any child who has not had "The Big Talk" yet. Because these scenes are most likely going to trigger the question that must be answered with "The Big Talk". Sure, innuendo goes right over the young ones' heads. But the last scene is the real clincher. It's going to have them crying so hard that it makes me say "Please completely abandon the idea of showing the movie to a kid. They won't be able to handle it."

My best suggestions for kid-friendly, family-friendly cute dog movies with HAPPY endings and very little adult content:

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

Beethoven (only the first flick)

Lassie (most mature of the three but will definitely touch your heart.)

Now that we've covered that fact that this is NOT a children's movie, onto the actual review:

It's good but it could've been a bit better. Again, for two reasons:

One, it's a bit too long. Cut a half-hour out and it'd be fine.

Two, the relationship between the family and the dog wasn't really developed enough in my opinion. Marley spent most of the movie destroying things and terrorizing people and I kept waiting for him to do something heroic or outstanding in order to redeem himself but...he doesn't, aside from a comforting scene here and there. When Owen Wilson's character comments to the vet that Marley stayed up all night to watch over their sick son, I was thought ".....what? Why didn't they show that then!?" And because of this flaw, it really takes out much of the impact the ending is supposed to have. I'm a crier, a dog lover, and very sensitive. But the most I got was slightly teary-eyed. Marley and Me's biggest mistake was that it doesn't give the viewer enough time to fall in love with Marley before it's time to say good-bye to him.

.......although if you hate crying and feeling depressed, this COULD be a good thing.

Oh, did I mention that the dog's euthanasia scene is completely milked for all it's worth? Yeah. It's like the directors are doing everything possible to get you to cry that it almost feels insulting. They drag it out so far that I was saying to myself, "Come ON...enough is enough...it's far too obvious...just STOP IT!" I don't like to be beaten over the head with stuff. Owen telling Marley that he's a great dog as he dies was the thing that triggered my tears. The sad music and the home movies, and the children's euthanologies just made me roll my eyes and say "...um....trying a little TOO hard now".

So where's the good stuff? Well, it lies in the film's originality, talented acting, and ability to tell the realistic story of a any dog owner's life. There is something here any person who has raised a puppy can relate to-all through the parts of Marely's mischeviousness, I myself kept laughing and saying "YUP, MY DOG DOES THAT!!" Some of his antics are exaggerrated but not to point beyond disbelief-and that makes it even funnier. Comments like "Now he's eating the floor" and "Now he's eating your briefcase" had my family of three burst into laughter because as dog owners, we know what it's like.

The acting is GOOD. The characterization is GOOD too. Despite what you've heard, Jennifer Aniston is NOT Rachel Greene at all in this. She's an admirable, take-charge, responsible and independent mother, who as a human of course has her limits but she only complains ONCE about it. She also still looks pretty good for her age....I'd imagine that's a bonus for you men out there who like to look at her. *laugh* And the children are all very adorable and Owen plays a good father who even when he dislikes his job, puts his family first in every choice he makes.

As many have said before, this is a good movie to see with teenagers or significant other. The romance is well-done. But also see it if you love dogs or have owned one. Whether it's dogs, romantic love, or having a family, Marley and Me most likely has at least one thing any older viewer can relate to.

Read Best Reviews of Marley & Me (Three-Disc Bad Dog Edition) (2009) Here

This movie is excellent. I read the book before entering the theater on Christmas Day. I am a huge Jennifer Aniston fan so I am usually first in line to see her movies anyway, but I was amazed at how closely the movie followed the book. We have a man and wife, Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston who are hopelessly in love. When the husband realizes his wife may soon want kids, he knows he is not ready and instead opts for a dog instead. They are easy enough and it can delay the process of children for a couple years right? They didnt bargain for the trouble that Marley would bring them. They could rarely vacation because they couldnt find someone to dog sit what they called the worlds worst dog. In the end you realize all the hardships that Marley has helped bring them through and helped to bring them closer together, further proving that dogs can be a mans best friend.

Excellent movie, great performances from both main actors, and watch for Eric Dane the comical womanizer that gives his friend advice, from dogs, to women. Definitely worth watching and worth owning.

Want Marley & Me (Three-Disc Bad Dog Edition) (2009) Discount?

I didn't expect to like this movie, but wound up loving it. I laughed

at every scene, and cried like a baby at the end. Lot's of emotional

rollercoaster rides with this touching comedy. Experiences everyone

has endured with a beloved pet. They make you mad, they make you laugh,

and they provide that unconditional love when you need it. Then they

break your heart, make you feel hopeless you can't help them, and give you those memories of endearment you will never forget. What is life

without a Marley in your life?

Save 45% Off

Phantasm II (Collector's Edition) (1988)

The long and outrageous wait is over and we FINALLY have PHANTASM II on DVD in region one. Universal knew that fans were in a frenzy to get this one and they also knew they didn't have to bother doing anything more than a bare bones release. Fans would buy whatever version they decided to throw our way and they did the LEAST amount of work on this they could get by with. What we got was a good looking anamorphic print of the film and an unimpressive STEREO soundtrack. Thats right, only 2 channel sound (even though the other films in this series all got new Dolby 5.1 remixes Universal knew they didn't have to bother). There are NO EXTRAS on this disc (other than one faded and dirty copy of the trailer). No cool animated menus, no commentary track, deleted scenes, making of features, retrospective documentary, cast interviews, NOTHING. All of this material is available and is on the worldwide releases of this film but the North American market gets ripped off by Universal. It would be so nice if they would allow Anchor Bay to do a decent release of this remarkable film but sadly it looks like that will never be a reality for the region 1 poplulation. Still...we do at least now have the film on DVD and the anamorphic transfer looks far better than my old pan and scan VHS copy. Even my laserdisc copy was pan and scan so this is a nice improvment. I sort of like the new cover art for this release as well although Unviersal even went super cheap on the flimsy, light weight keepcase this came in. They really should be ashamed of themselves for holding the film hostage all these years and then giving us such a no frills version when they finally decided to release it. Its a great film and an impressive follow up to the original film and it deserved so much better than this.

This second Phantasm begins where the first film, PHANTASM (1979), left off and takes you seven years later. In real time it was nine years before they finally made this sequel. That is why everyone looks more mature. James Le Gros takes over as "Michael" for this film only. But A. Michael Baldwin can be seen in flashbacks. Reggie Bannister and the Tall Man Angus Scrimm are back and so are those deadly silver spheres. I'll keep the plot a surprise for you, but this sequel is more big-budget. They go all out for this one and is very enjoyable if you like suspense, horror and more gore.

Funny sex scene.

If James Le Gros looks familar, twelve years later after this film, he had a regular role in the tv series "Ally McBeal" in 2000-2001.

Followed by:

Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead(1994).

Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998).

Buy Phantasm II (Collector's Edition) (1988) Now

When I was younger I saw Phantasm one night on T.V. when I was flipping channels. You know, one of those nights when it's late, it's the weekend, you feel good, and you're all alone and all you want is to see a movie that makes an impact on your life somehow. Phantasm IS one of those movies. It is, to me, the impidimy of what a horror movie should be. Graveyards, darkness, fog, monsters, evil powers, zombies that are actually scary, and a sweet 1971 Hemi-Cuda. The "ball" is the most revolutionary idea to come to horror movies. I was so excited after seeieng it I went to the video store and to my sheer pleasure, there was part 1,2, and 3. Each one takes up from where the last one ended. I absolutely LOVE the Phantasm series more than any other series.

I feel as if the series was taylor made for me. It touches a primal fear in me that is both scary and exhilerating. The Tall Man is so cool !! The flying ball(s) and the sound they make is Phantastic !!

I couldn't care less who owns the copywrite to the series. Yes, I adore Mike and would've loved to see him in part 2, but, dammit, I want the BOX SET !!!!!!!! I know I speak for other fans.

Quite simply, the Phantasm series holds a very special place in my heart. It is what movie making should be.

Don, if you are reading this, thank you so much for bringing joy into my life. I'm sure you aware by now that you have quite a cult following !!

Read Best Reviews of Phantasm II (Collector's Edition) (1988) Here

Don Coscarelli demonstrated his talent in first "Phantasm" and now he was granted a bigger budget by Universal Pictures. And extra money appeared to be quite useful. We got the same grim and atmosperic movie but with better special effects and more advanced technically. Money allowed to build beautiful and extended interiors, make the picture spellbinding, increase the number of killing spheres and expand the cast therefore we got to see wonderful actors here like James LeGros as Mike and Kenneth Tigar as a charismatic priest.

And although "Phantasm II" has a bigger calibre than the previous one it is still very atmospheric and claustrophobic. If the first was more of a little mystic film, the second grew up to be an action horror road-movie. And it served him good. As Don Coscarelli mentioned in his commentary track, you may like this film or not, but you will not deny the fact it's a film of great imagery. It is picturesque indeed. There are plenty scenes you can get pleasure watching, even if you had watched them separately, not in chronological order, not knowing the plot. "Phantasm II" is just beautiful. And it's not that slowly-paced as other "Phantasm" series, it's much more active and intense.

This film of great imagination is one of my all-time favourites. I just bought the British 5-disc sphere edition. Guess soon it'll be released in America too.

Want Phantasm II (Collector's Edition) (1988) Discount?

Many people were first introduced to the tall man by this film. This ran pretty regularly on television back in the late 80's into the early 90's. This may not be your favorite of the Phantasm's. I prefer the original...but that being said this has so many extras in it that it is hard to not prefer it until they do the original on blu ray. The first film was more mystery sci fi and this is a much more direct action horror film. The extras include 47 minutes of Don, Angus, Reggie and most folks in the film. It also has commentary from those first three on this. It also has a 17 minute special called gory days just dealing with the gore effects. To top it all off the tall man included a film from his collection where he plays Abraham Lincoln. The only person missing from the extras seems to be Michael's replacement James LeGros. Whether he refused or was not asked to do anything with the extras I don't know. Michael Baldwin of course is in all the other films and James got this role mainly because he was a bigger name and Michael didn't act really after the first film so the studio said they had to have a working actor.

The film itself is of good quality. I don't think they could really get the print to look much better. It does have some artifacts and things with the black levels but that is minor nit picking at what so far is the best looking of all four films due to the blu ray release.

The sound is in 5.1 but you won't notice too much use of the back speakers. The spheres do fly left to right or vice versa in the speakers but weren't as pronounced as I expected. Still the sound was very adequate and I had no issues with it.

Overall this is a great addition to a horror collection. Shout Factory puts every bit of effort doing these films. They take these things seriously and you can spend days going over the extras and listening to them all.

If you like any of the films then you will appreciate the upgrade of this one and pray that shout factory gets the others to upgrade them.

Save 27% Off

Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)

Following the cataclysmic finale of Beneath the Planet of the Apes, there was only one logical direction for the series to go---> back to the future. The result is an illogically conceived and satirical prequel that will amuse and delight and ultimately devastate with its bleak Shakesperean tragedy.

When Taylor's spacecraft unexpectedly splashes down in 1973 and is retrieved by a military envoy, the three astronauts that emerge from the capsule are not revealed to be Taylor, Landon and Dodge, but rather the astonishing simian ape-o-nauts Cornelius, Zira and Milo... the third of which is a completely disposeable character who is appropriately killed off very early by a caged zoo gorilla who was probably jealous that the talking simian chimpanzees were getting all of the attention. With Milo out of the picture, the story focuses on the relationship between Cornelius and Zira in ways that were not afforded the opportunity in the two previous films and is filled with tongue-in-cheek episodes inspired by Pierre Boulle's original novel as Cornelius and Zira go around "aping" 20th century human culture (a subtle and clever mockery of our own) in an attempt to make themselves fit in to our society.

While Cornelius and Zira make themselves at home as cultural "celebrities" they are being carefully monitored under the watchful auspices of the nefarious Dr. Otto Hasslein played by recognizable character actor Eric Braeden (of Young and the Restless fame) who listens with great interest to what the talking chimps have to say about where they came from during a Presidential Inquiry and how they managed to arrive in Taylor's spacecraft as Cornelius explains that it landed on their seaboard and was repaired by Milo -an implausibility which is the film's glaring continuity error since Taylor's spacecraft immediately sunk into the depths of the Forbidden Zone it is a far fetched conclusion that they somehow managed to not only find, retrieve and repair it (even if they had repaired Astronaut Brent's crashed spacecraft from Beneath) with engineering far in advance of their own intellectual ape intelligence (which Milo only "half-understood" as Cornelius describes it) but managed to do so and escape within a very small window of time before the planet was obliterated by the shockwave of destruction catapulting them backwards in time and arriving at roughly the same destination and era as Taylor's original point of departure (it could be argued that these narrative discrepancies support the theory of "Hasslein's Observed Time Curve" which suggests that a predestination paradox created alternate intersecting timelines as illustrated by the incongruent timeline of events that occur between Conquest and Battle). Nevertheless, once you get past the narrative gaps and just go with it, Escape is a fun and dramatically intense film but is my least favorite second only to the weakest link in the evolutionary Apes chain; Battle For The Planet of the Apes.

When Zira announces that she is pregnant, the film takes a dark and conspiratorial turn when the government realizes the consequence a race of intelligent talking apes will have on the future of our human civilization. In an effort to protect their newborn (the ape who would become Caesar), Cornelius and Zira find refuge with Armando, a sideshow circus entertainer played by the extravagant Ricardo Montalban who gladly welcomes the simian family with open arms, but it isn't long before Dr. Hasslein picks up the fugitives' trail and hunts them down in a tragic and inevitable climax that sets up the paradox of the entire Planet of the Apes chronology.

"Escape From The Planet Of The Apes"

is part of the the classic SciFi

movie series begun with "Planet Of The Apes".

Three "apes" arrive in the pop culture

America of 1973 (?) from a future where

apes are the dominant and intellectually superior

species, able to communicate by spoken

language (English), and humans are as beasts.

Upon their escape, they witness the destruction

of the earth due to a weapon of warfare

created by humans and used by apes.

This film provides a thematic bridge in the

movie series, but also stands on its own.

It is both comic and tragic.

It is notable for trotting out the social

and political concerns as defined by the

pop media of the period in a

heavy-handed way and trivializing

them with humor at the same time.

Social satire well done.

The great thing about this film is that

it gives one numerous themes to consider.

It is serious and rich with meaning

while at the same time campy and fun

and ultimately tragic.

Among the interesting ideas presented are:

submission to God's will...

danger of political zealotry...

ends justifying the means...

analogy between "apes" and the negroid race...

trumping of absolute truth by majority vote...

modesty in dress vs. exhibitionism...

pacifism vs. just use of violence...

use of animals...

truth telling and omission...

...and on and on

The film is a great vehicle for discussion

and a definite candidate for repeated viewing.

Sure, the ape costumes are rather silly,

but so what;

we know they are not real apes anyway.

Last, but certainly not least, is the

great, great, great musical score

by Jerry Goldsmith. Wow!

Good plot, interesting characters,

campy humor, serious themes, great music,

action; what's not to like?

Buy Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) Now

Even if you are not an APES series fan, this movie grows on you. It is easily the most intentionally comic of the series, and features a cleverly plotted mix of real drama and sci-fi, and placing the action in then-present day Los Angeles gives it a peculiar point of view, one that succeeds almost brilliantly. Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall inhabit their roles so completely that you believe utterly that they are apes, and that their peril is real. Since I love the twists in a movie that give it gravity and an enduring quality, I love the strange sense of doom and tragedy that pervades this movie, even when it is at its most humorous. The final moments remain chillingly effective, and paved the way for the many, many copycat plots featured in movies yet to come. Forget BENEATH... -go directly to this movie; you will not be disappointed.

Read Best Reviews of Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) Here

I love the original Planet of the Apes film. In my view it's a classic. I feel the movies that came after were far less than the original, and yet I'm glad for them because I really liked the characters introduced in the original movie and wanted more. This movie is one I hesitated to own because I always found it very painful to watch. And that is why I think it succeeds. This is campy, and very '70's...yet to this day I still care for Zira and Cornelius and feel pain by the end at their murder. So for that reason I think the movie succeeds. Anytime something comes along that makes me feel along with or about the characters--that's a ride I want to go on--even if it is 40 years old and very dated, almost silly by today's standards.

Want Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) Discount?

This installment in the POTA series is not as child friendly as some reviewers would have you believe. Despite the lighthearted scenes of Zira speaking for the first time to the unexpected, the presidential inquiry, and the apes tour of the city. This movie has a serious and sometimes grim tone with a sad and tragic ending that may upset some children. I would recommend that you watch this in it's entirety first before you decide if this is suitable for your children. There is no nudity or profanity, so it's safe in that respect. I saw this for the first time when I was roughly 13 years old and the ending traumatized me to no end. I may have been a little extra sensetive then, but to this day I can not forgive Eric Braeden. He played the part of Otto Hasslein too well.

Save 38% Off

Inception (2012)

If you want to read a review of the film itself, just google "inception review" and take your pick. Ebert gave it four stars. Do you really want to read yet another Amazon user's opinion? This review is for people who already know they want the film, but are wondering which edition to buy.

If you're only interested in the film, buy whichever one you can find cheapest. There is not currently an extended edition or director's cut available. If, however, you're interested in the special features, you're sort of between a rock and a hard place. Here's why:

1. The single-disc Blu-ray edition has a pathetic 12 minutes of special features--the same ones included on the single-disc DVD edition, and they're not even in high-def.

2. The "two-disc" Blu-Ray edition is actually three discs: two Blu-rays and one DVD. If you see it listed as "two-disc" some places and "three-disc" or "combo pack" others, they're the same thing. The first Blu-ray is the film along with an option that gives you behind-the-scenes content as it plays (cleverly named "extraction mode"). The second Blu-ray is just special features--but NOT the ones on the single-disc Blu-ray or DVD. The third disc is a standard-def DVD, but NOT the same DVD you get when you buy it separately--this DVD is a "rental" edition which has NO special features of any kind, and--get this--it doesn't even have a scene index. The "digital copy" is actually a code printed on a paper insert to download the film from the internet. Also, some of the 2/3-disc editions come in a lenticular slip cover, but not all.

3. The standard-def DVD is a single disc with the same 12 minutes of special features on the single-disc Blu-ray.

4. There's also a hard-to-find, two-disc, standard-def DVD edition. Unfortunately I haven't seen it in person and I don't know for sure what's on either disc, other than the film of course. My guess is the second disc is a special features disc like that included in the 2/3-disc Blu-ray edition. I'm just wondering if the first disc is the "rental" edition or the single-disc DVD edition.

5. Best Buy's exclusive edition is the same as the 2/3-disc Blu-ray edition, but with the added bonus of Christopher Nolan's script/notes.

6. FYE's exclusive edition comes in a "steelbook" case.

7. The limited edition comes in a scale replica of the briefcase used in the film. It's the same 2/3-disc edition but also includes mini-posters, a couple of booklets (I believe one is the script and the other is the shared dreaming device's "user manual," which is online at pasivdevice.org) and Cobb's totem.

I gave a rating of three stars because it seems you can't get all the special features without buying two editions, and that's incredibly lame.

On the surface Inception seems to be a crime caper, complete with master of disguise Eames (Tom Hardy), planner Aridane (Ellen Page), point man Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and master thief Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio). But it's so much more than that, taking place in dreams within dreams within dreams.

Inception, like Total Recall and The Matrix, is about perception. The audience is never sure what reality is because the protagonist isn't sure what's real. There are clues providing evidence for the real/not real theories, but the best movies of this type don't come down on one side or another. Total Recall ultimately had enough clues indicating the "right" way. The Matrix stumbled after it made it clear that reality was fiction, thereby losing an audience who enjoyed the tantalizing mystery. Like so many mysteries, once the truth was revealed it wasn't quite as exciting as we all hoped. Inception wisely avoids providing answers.

Inception is also a thought experiment. The central conceit of Inception is that once you put a thought in someone's head it's like a virus, incapable of being removed. In fact, attempting to not think about the idea causes the mind to just focus on it more. This concept, a key tenet of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), is part of how our brains are wired. Director Chris Nolan knows exactly what he's doing when the characters explain the premise. It is the key argument between Cobb and his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard): is this life just a dream?

Once you get it into your head as to which of them is right, Inception burrows into your psyche and you see all the evidence you need to reinforce the idea. There are enough discrepancies to suspect that Cobb's stuck in a dream, but there are enough rules defining reality that indicate otherwise. Unless, of course, you believe that Cobb is fooling himself by making up said rules to convince himself he's not in a dream when he actually is. If that sounds confusing, Inception's done its job.

Inception is a little too long in places, testing the viewer's patience as it delves four levels deep into the subconscious, each with different timeframes, settings, and plots. Part of the fun is watching the movie again to look for clues that reinforce what we secretly thought we knew all along.

Me? I'm convinced I know the truth. But then maybe Inception put that idea in my head.

Buy Inception (2012) Now

BLU-RAY:

I just finished watching Inception for the second time. The Blu-ray is amazing. The PQ and AQ are perfect in every way. I did notice that the video was not as sharp, crisp, or clear as The Dark Knight. However it was very, very good. The audio is very bass heavy, but is up there with some of the best Blu-ray AQ I have heard. The movie was stunning all the way through and after another watch it is just as good if not better than the first time I watched it.

The special features are great. Disc two is full of behind the scenes and a dream documentary by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. On the first disc there is expansion mode which takes you behind the scenes and shows you each special effects scene and all which went into creating it. It is really interesting to watch. Very little CGI special effects were used on this film. They actually did most of the stunts or build huge models. It was really cool to watch.

MOVIE:

I went into Inception thinking very positive and with high hopes that this will be one of my new favorite movies. I based this simply on the trailer. I was not let down in the slightest, and I was blown away by the originality and creativity of the film. The directing, acting, and cinematography were all amazing. It is a beautiful film.

After seeing Inception I will have a hard time watching any other movie ever again. Anything else would seem boring and useless. I went to see The Expendables in theaters. Horrible. I couldn't understand what the interest in this film was. It was just violence and explosions; No story or plot. Just useless violence.

I can see where people may think of Inception as something similar to the theme of the Matrix. It sort of has the same basic idea of people being hooked up to a machine, leaving their bodies and going somewhere else. Besides that, there wasn't much at all which reminded me of the Matrix. Each scene held its own new originality in the most creative way as possible.

As far as Inception being hard to follow... well, I had no trouble following it at all. The three friends and my eleven-year-old brother had no trouble following it. I believe people who are more open minded would follow and understand it much better than people who are not willing to believe the story. Parts are incredible to believe, but you have to be open and let the story take place.

The creativity and attention to each shot and scene really paid off in the end. The film was perfect in every way in my opinion. Things were done which we have never seen before and it was done so well. It has set a new standard for films, at least in my mind. The directing style is similar to The Dark Knight, however they seemed to give Christopher Nolan more creative freedom with Inception.

The acting was top notch. I liked that Leo's character, Cobb, seemed a little weak minded at times. Usually he plays a strong character, but in this film his character had a weakness. Joseph Gordon-Levitt played a larger role than I expected. I was impressed with his character as well. Most of the crazy stunts, anti-gravity, jumping off walls and fighting people in mid air kind of stuff were with his character. Very cool. Ellen Page played a young architect which is hired to build cities within a person's mind. She did a great job as well. Each character was so well thought out and everyone added just the right amount to perfectly blend each character into the story.

If you're a fan of films which touch on subjects which most movies dare not go, you owe it to yourself to see this film. You won't be disappointed. I am very glad I got to see it on the big screen.

Video

Video codec: VC-1

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1 (less)

Subtitles

English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese

English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese (less)

Discs

50GB Blu-ray Disc

Three-disc set (2 BDs, 1 DVD)

Digital copy (on disc)

DVD copy

Bonus View (PiP)

BD-Live

Read Best Reviews of Inception (2012) Here

Thank god there was one movie this summer not based on a comic book, a previous movie, television show, Disney ride, or candy wrapper. You actually had to invest some functioning brain activity to follow the plot and keep up with four simultaneous finales going on at the same time within different dream levels. And the ending was open to your own feelings or interpretation. Was he still in a dream or not? If you were still on board and paying attention, you may have noticed Leonardo's character didn't really care at that point, so why should we? It was a fun ride.

Want Inception (2012) Discount?

`Inception' is a hard movie to judge. Basically, it is a mind-bender, and as such should be judged by two criteria: How good of a mind-bender is it? And, How much does it create a realm of its own with phenomena and rules of causality that work consistently?

In my mind `Inception,' despite some derivative elements, is an inventive movie that provides mind-enveloping reactions well after the viewing is over. Much like Lynch's `Inland Empire' before it, the movie coalesces well into one's imagination and lingers in the mind for days to come.

Being brief with the story is difficult, and I'm sure by now you've probably digested a great deal of material elsewhere. Washed up on an Asian seashore, American businessman, Cobb (Di Caprio) meets with an elderly leader to obtain a contract and defeat his enemies. To accomplish this, he offers to perform an "extraction," a means of obtaining secrets from a person`s subconscious during one's dream life. In the midst of their negotiations, an entire village riots and takes over the building where they meet, and Cobb and his sidekick, Arthur, (Gordon-Levitt) fight and flee to save their lives....

In this beginning scene the lines are partially drawn between dreams and awakening, but the surrealistic landscape also provides Nolan ample opportunities to provide his trademark action-adventure for his science fiction saga.

Cobb later meets an old professor (Caine) who sagely links him to a prodigy student, Ariadne, (Page) who can assist him with his next assignment and help straighten out his perspective and proper use of inceptions, or the use of subliminal persuasion, participating in another's subconscious perceptions and manipulating them during their dreams. In their first assignment together, he plans to have a rich man's son and heir, Robert Fischer (Murphy) change his mind about his father's will, so he will be able to either obtain or sabotage his inheritance.

There are dreams, and there are dreams within dreams, and one of Cobb's plans is to have three levels of dreaming going on at once to have the most persuasive power on Fisher.

Intertwined are revelations from Cobb's subconscious, revealed with Ariadne, who joins him on his subliminal journey and witnesses some of his life-changing events with his wife (Cotillard). In a partial revelation, Cobb admits he included his wife in some of his dream work with complications that has created strife in their relationship.

As you might imagine, problems develop that make the operation work less neatly and easily as planned, so discerning what level of dreaming and what level of reality are taking place also becomes blurred. The exposition and details are laid out more concretely than Lynch's worlds, but the caveats others have placed about paying attention are well founded.

Besides the mood of mind-benders like Lynch's `Mulholland Drive,' Nolan has borrowed and alchemized elements from inventive movies like the truly excellent Japanese anime' adventure `Paprika' and movies like 'The Cell,' but the results are truly new and effective.

I have to admit my biases. I love mind-benders, and it's no accident that Christopher Nolan and David Lynch are at the top of my list of favorite directors. This creates a problem because if you love mind-benders as a rule, it is sometimes difficult to separate effective works from those that don't work as well.

I was originally wavering between four and five stars for this film based on the ending. I'll give no details for that, but, I've decided, like 'Inland Empire' before it, `Inception' may seem abrupt, but its import as a surrealistic experience is nearly as mind-altering. 'Inception' deserves attention, awards, multiple viewings, and the time needed for a truly rewarding film experience. If you love Lynch's work, you will probably also love 'Inception,' but one could concede this movie isn`t as effective at playing with your noodle. On the other hand, if you find Lynch's films to be frustrating or too abstract, then Nolan's 'Inception' may give you a more satisfying sense of concreteness and closure overall.

(Tom Berenger and Ken Watanabe join an outstanding cast for a taut movie experience.)

(Some loose ends of `Inception' have been tightened from information from imdb.)

Save 27% Off